Page 29 of His Gentle Omega
Slowly moving to sink down next to Lucas on the sofa, I glanced around the living room. Blinking slowly as the different colored walls registered. One was lime green, one an aqua color,and one a pale peach. It was odd, to be sure, but somehow, it seemed to work.
“Can we do play doh now?” Lucas looked at me with big puppy eyes, and my heart melted.
Coughing into my arm, I noticed this spell didn’t last as long as the last ones and was less painful. “You’ll need to ask Bennett, kiddo, we’re his guests.”
Where was Bennett? Hiding out in his kitchen? I wouldn’t blame him.
As if summoned by my thoughts, Bennett appeared, leaning a shoulder casually against the wall that separated the living room and kitchen. “You can play with it at the table. I have some wax paper we can put down, and you can roll it out on that. Did you still want to help with the soup? You don’t have to if you’d rather play.”
Lucas jumped up, his new toy forgotten. “I want to help cook.”
“Wash your hands,” Bennett instructed softly, as Lucas whizzed past him into the kitchen area and out of sight.
“Your cough sounds better,” he remarked quietly, still doing his best to hold the wall up with his shoulder. “The antibiotics and nebulizer seem to be working.”
Looking at my hands and not at Bennett, I gave a slight nod, agreeing with him. “I feel a little better, though that’s not saying much. I got winded walking across the bedroom to the chair.”
Bennett said nothing, and I raised my head to see him looking at me, but there was no anger in his eyes. He was just looking me over, taking in every minute detail.
“I’m sorry I yelled.” The words were barely more than a whisper, but they were sincere.
“You were scared, and I should have realized you would be if you woke up.” He tilted his head, frowning. “It’s my fault fornot at least leaving a note. Honestly, I figured we would be back before you woke up. It took longer than I expected, so I’m sorry for that.”
Shaking my head, I whispered, “No, you’ve been nothing but kind to us. Please don’t apologize. I overreacted.”
Bennett gave me a thin-lipped smile that wasn’t really a smile, but something about the look in his eyes told me he understood why I had reacted the way I had. Still, it didn’t make my behavior okay. “Well, I won’t take Lucas again without your permission.”
Fuck, I was such an ass yelling the way I had. And Bennett was being way too understanding. Was that just how he was, or was he walking on eggshells around me? I hated to think that he was, but there was a huge, unspoken elephant in the room. It didn’t take a genius to figure out some of my story or circumstances, and Bennett didn’t strike me as stupid.
“Bennett!” Lucas hollered from the kitchen, and I winced that my child was yelling the way he was. He had better manners than that. On the other hand, I was kind of glad he felt comfortable enough with Bennett, and in his house, to just be a kid for once. The Goddess knew, Asher and I had yelled plenty when we were growing up. “My hands are clean. Are we making the soup?”
Bennett smiled, a true smile this time, and looked over his shoulder. “Yes, we are.” Moving into the kitchen, I heard him say, “Remember, I’ll do the chopping, and you put everything in the crock pot. We’ll put it on the high setting and it should be ready in a couple of hours. Let me just get your dad some water, and maybe some crackers.”
A few minutes later, he held out a large glass of ice water to me, and a sleeve of saltines. “Take it.” He wiggled the glass at me, and I automatically took it from him. “You need the water. It will help with the gunk in your lungs and your throat, and keepyou from being any more dehydrated than you are. The crackers will help with your stomach. You’ve had nothing but meds for two days.”
How had he known I was slightly queasy? Was that just common sense or did it have something to do with us being fated? The second big we-aren’t-talking-about-that-right-now elephant in the room.
“Thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say, so I just sipped the water under his watchful stare. When he seemed satisfied, he headed back to the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, “We’re making some soup. Remote is on the couch. It will be time for more meds in a bit, so eat some crackers. Let me know if you feel up to putting something else in your stomach before it’s ready.”
Bossy little omega, but I did what he ordered. Truthfully, I doubted I could do much else. And it was kind of nice to have someone making decisions, even if only for a little while. Getting dressed, making it out here to the couch, the terror I had felt at not knowing where Lucas was, and yelling, had taken their toll. Exhaustion seeped from my bones, and I didn’t even have the energy to reach for the remote to turn on some mindless show.
Setting the water glass on the coffee table, I ate a couple of crackers, then let my head fall back on the sofa. I wasn’t really hungry at all, but the crackers were helping with my upset stomach. Listening to the sounds drifting from the kitchen, I slowly felt my muscles relax. The soft voices of Bennett patiently instructing Lucas on what to do. Lucas asking questions, and the sweet sound of his laughter. No matter how many questions Lucas rattled off, Bennett answered with patience and kindness. Never raising his voice, never sounding exasperated.
We were safe.
Bennett wouldn’t hurt us, wouldn’t hurt Lucas or me. Deep down I knew it, even though I didn’t know Bennett at all. I wasn’t sure how I knew it; I just did. But that hadn’t stopped the fear from taking hold of me, nearly paralyzing me with it.
Drifting, I dozed, coming somewhat awake when I heard car doors slamming, and feet running up the walk. The person barely knocked, before they threw the door open so hard and fast it banged loudly against the wall.
Jumping at the sound that was so loud in the room it was like a gunshot had gone off, I pushed myself off the couch, body shaking. Heart pounding, adrenaline racing through me, I was ready to defend Lucas from whoever was coming at us. For us.
Had Edward found us?
The tall, lithe, blond omega with wide dark, chocolate-colored eyes stared at me, his expression both grim and hopeful. It had been over twelve years since I’d last seen his face, but I would know him anywhere.
He’d been my whole world for over half my life. My big brother. My defender. My protector. It had never mattered that he was an omega, and I was an alpha. He was my older brother, and that was that. He wouldn’t let anyone mess with me. Even when I’d grown larger than him, taller and wider than him, he’d teasingly call me his big little brother.
He had held me when our mom had died from breast cancer, and I’d been too little to understand why she was gone and wasn’t coming home. He’d climbed into my bed when I had nightmares and chased the monsters away.
